U.S. patent application number 11/064726 was filed with the patent office on 2005-09-01 for ear insert for hearing aids.
This patent application is currently assigned to Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH. Invention is credited to Ach-Kowalewski, Gerhard, Klemenz, Harald, Niederdrank, Torsten.
Application Number | 20050190940 11/064726 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34745278 |
Filed Date | 2005-09-01 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050190940 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ach-Kowalewski, Gerhard ; et
al. |
September 1, 2005 |
Ear insert for hearing aids
Abstract
Active otoplastics (3) with integrated earpieces (4) are to be
acoustically optimized. There is provision here for forming a sound
outlet (8) into the otoplastic in accordance with acoustic
conditions. If the sound outlet (8) has the form of an exponential
horn, this results in advantages for supply of high tones. The
earpiece (4) can be secured with the aid of an adapter (5) into the
otoplastic (3) so that it can be exchanged.
Inventors: |
Ach-Kowalewski, Gerhard;
(Effeltrich, DE) ; Klemenz, Harald; (Furth,
DE) ; Niederdrank, Torsten; (Erlangen, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SIEMENS CORPORATION
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
170 WOOD AVENUE SOUTH
ISELIN
NJ
08830
US
|
Assignee: |
Siemens Audiologische Technik
GmbH
|
Family ID: |
34745278 |
Appl. No.: |
11/064726 |
Filed: |
February 24, 2005 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
381/330 ;
381/322 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04R 25/604 20130101;
H04R 25/02 20130101; H04R 25/48 20130101; H04R 25/652 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
381/330 ;
381/322 |
International
Class: |
H04R 025/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Feb 26, 2004 |
DE |
10 2004 009 268.0 |
Claims
1-7. (canceled)
8. An ear insert for a hearing aid, comprising: a molded padding
sized and configured to fit into an auditory canal and having a
cavity; a cap for covering the cavity at a side of the cavity
facing away from an eardrum of the auditory canal when the ear
insert is fit into the auditory canal; an acoustic earpiece
arranged within the cavity, detachable from the molded padding and
adapted to provide sound to the auditory canal; and a sound outlet
operatively connected to the acoustic earpiece and configured to
face the eardrum when the ear insert is fit into the auditory
canal, wherein the sound outlet is at least partially included in a
capsule accommodating the acoustic earpiece and shaped as an
element chosen from the group consisting of a funnel and an
exponential horn.
9. The ear insert according to claim 8, wherein the sound outlet
comprises a first and a second opening, the first opening facing
the eardrum, the second opening facing the acoustic earpiece and
the first opening having a larger area than the second opening.
10. The ear insert according to claim 8, wherein the capsule is
adapted to be inserted into and detached from the molded padding
from a side of the molded padding facing the eardrum when the
molded padding is inserted into the auditory canal.
11. The ear insert according to claim 8, wherein the molded padding
is a fitting piece sized and configured to match the auditory
canal.
12. The ear insert according to claim 8, wherein the acoustic
earpiece is connected to an external sound processing device using
the cap.
13. The ear insert according to claim 12, wherein an contact spring
is attached to the acoustic earpiece and the capsule for connecting
the acoustic earpiece to an external sound processing.
14. The ear insert according to claim 13, wherein the contact
spring is also attached to the cap.
15. The ear insert according to claim 8, wherein the acoustic
earpiece comprises the cap.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to the German application
No. 10 2004 009 268.0, filed Feb. 26, 2004 which is incorporated by
reference herein in its entirety.
FIELD OF INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to an ear insert for a hearing
system, especially a hearing aid, with a shaped part which can be
pressed into the auditory canal of the ear, a capsule which is
arranged so that it can be removed from the shaped part and an ear
piece to supply sound to the ear which is arranged in the
capsule.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0003] High-tone hearing aids with a largely open supply are very
adversely affected both by sound radiation from the vent (the
opening) and also by the attenuation properties of the sound tube
for high frequencies. Therefore it is of great benefit to relocate
the earpiece under such circumstances. In this case the earpiece is
fixed or molded into an otoplastic or an earmold. The earpiece is
connected via a cable connection to the hearing aid module which is
accommodated behind the ear for example. The disadvantage of this
layout however is that to service the device if the earpiece fails
or becomes contaminated in the otoplastic, said otoplastic has to
be replaced, which involves considerable effort and costs, since
each otoplastic is formed individually.
[0004] In this context otoplastics are known to which an earpiece
can be linked externally. Such an arrangement is used for pocket
hearing aids. However this construction is too large in its design
for normal use of BtEs.
[0005] Furthermore a behind-the-ear (BtE) device is known from EP 0
288 822 for which the ear insert comprises an earmold adapted to
the contour of the auditory canal and a module shell which can be
used inside it. The module shell is self-contained and contains any
given electrical and/or electromechanical components, e.g. an
earpiece and a microphone. After being placed in the ear, the
insert largely disappears into the inner auditory canal and is thus
practically invisible. The sound is directed from the earpiece over
a small tubular channel to the eardrum.
[0006] Publication DE 35 04 891 A1 shows an ear insert for hearing
aids with a shaped part which is arranged in a user's auditory
channel and can be adapted to it. Within the shaped part there is
filler material in which an earpiece is mounted on an oscillating
support. A funnel-shaped hearing aid opening is attached to the
output opening of the earpiece.
[0007] In addition Publication DE 102 14 189 A1 discloses a hearing
aid with a housing and of a corresponding Cerumen protection
system. An earpiece can be taken out of this housing.
[0008] Further, from EP 354 698 B1 a hearing aid is known featuring
a shaped part which can be fitted into a user's auditory canal.
This shaped part takes the form similar to a funnel at its ear
drum-side end.
[0009] In addition U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,649 A discloses a hearing
aid which features a contact in a cover. The contact is
electrically connected to a battery when the cover is closed
[0010] Finally from publication DE 37 88 566 T2 a hearing aid is
known in which a an earpiece is arranged in a pillow in an auricle
module If necessary the receiver or earpiece can be removed using
an extraction strip.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0011] An object of the present invention is to provide an ear
insert which has the advantages of an exchangeable earpiece and
features improved acoustic properties.
[0012] In accordance with the invention this object is achieved by
an ear insert for a hearing system with a shaped part (also
referred to as a molded padding) which can be fitted into the
auditory canal of the ear and an earpiece which is arranged in the
shaped part so that it can be removed, to conduct the sound to the
ear, with a sound outlet formed in accordance with acoustic
conditions being embodied between the earpiece and the side of the
shaped part, which in the state in which the ear insert is placed
in the auditory canal, is facing the eardrum The sound outlet is
embodied in the capsule. This means that although the capsule for
the earpiece is somewhat more expensive to manufacture, the shaped
part by contrast is cheaper to manufacture. Preferably the sound
outlet is embodied funnel-shaped. Ideally the sound outlet is in
the form of an exponential horn which produces optimum impedance
matching. On the side of the shaped part facing away from the
eardrum a cover is fitted to which a cutout in the shaped part in
which the capsule is placed can be closed off. This enables the
capsule to be formed relatively simply without any fear of an
unwanted shaking out of the earpiece from the ear insert.
Optionally the cover can be designed to be removable from the
shaped part, which makes the device easier to assemble in some
cases.
[0013] An opening of the sound outlet facing the eardrum can in
this case have a larger surface that an opening of the sound outlet
facing the earpiece.
[0014] For high-tone hearing aids in particular this produces an
improved acoustic impedance matching.
[0015] The sound outlet can be embodied in the shaped part. In this
case a capsule or an adapter which allows the earpiece to be easily
exchanged, can be produced at very low cost.
[0016] The capsule can be removable from the shaped part on the
side facing the eardrum. The advantage of this is that--provided
there is a corresponding stop--the capsule with the earpiece cannot
shake free from the ear insert.
[0017] The shaped part can further be an earmold. This enables a
precise individual adaptation to an auditory canal to be
achieved.
[0018] The earpiece can be contacted via this cover. It this case
it is useful for spring contacts to be used for making contact with
the earpiece to be arranged on the capsule and/or the cover. This
minimizes the installation effort involved in fitting or exchanging
an earpiece in the ear insert.
[0019] The earpiece can also be embodied as one piece with the
cover. I.e. the earpiece has a closure part so that the insertion
of the earpiece and the closure of the cutout can be undertaken in
one movement.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] The invention will now be explained in more detail on the
basis of the enclosed drawings, which show:
[0021] FIG. 1 a cross-section through an inventive ear insert
corresponding to a first embodiment of the present invention;
[0022] FIG. 2 a cross-section through an ear insert in accordance
with a second embodiment; and
[0023] FIG. 3 a cross-section through of a part of an ear insert in
accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention.
[0024] the exemplary embodiments described in greater detail below
represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
[0025] FIG. 1 shows the ear of a hearing aid wearer including the
auricle 1 and a cross-section through the auditory canal 2. An ItE
shell or otoplastic 3 is fitted into the auditory canal 2 as a
shaped part. An earpiece 4 including a corresponding capsule or a
corresponding adapter 5 is inserted in a cutout of the otoplastic
3. The adapter 5 can be embodied as a component for a plug-in-,
screw, bayonet or jack connection. The adapter 5 can however also
be glued into the otoplastic for example with silicon or another
commercially-available adhesive, but this loses the benefit of
exchangeability.
[0026] Connections 6 for the earpiece 4 are routed out through the
adapter 5. They are connected by a flexible lead 7 to the BtE
device which is not shown.
[0027] The earpiece 4 in the otoplastic 3 is subjected to very
extreme conditions with high temperatures (appr. 37.degree. C.),
high humidity (sweat) and earwax (Cerumen) which would lead to
expectations of a short lifetime. In order not to have to
manufacture a new, expensive otoplastic or ItE shell each time that
the receiver is exchanged, the adapter 5 offers a significant
advantage since it is very easy to exchange.
[0028] In this first embodiment of the capsule or the adapter 5 is
inserted from outside in the direction of the arrow A into the
otoplastic. This enables it to be taken out of the otoplastic 3
without the latter having to be removed from the auditory canal The
adapter 5 is fixed in the otoplastic 3 with a corresponding
opposing element of the plug-in, screw, bayonet or jack
connector.
[0029] On the side facing the ear drum the otoplastic 3 features a
funnel-shaped sound outlet 8 indicated which can also be referred
to as the sound channel. This sound outlet 8 can also be embodied
so that it is similar to a horn and in particular has the form of
an exponential horn. The acoustic engineer can adapt the form of
the sound outlet to the acoustic circumstances, e.g. residual
volume in the auditory canal, frequency spectrum of the earpiece
supply, impedance matching etc, as required
[0030] FIG. 2 shows the second embodiment of the inventive ear
insert. With this embodiment only the adapter 5 is different in
design to the first embodiment, so that, as regards the remaining
elements, reference can be made to the description of FIG. 1.
[0031] With the second embodiment in accordance with FIG. 2 the
adapter 5 is inserted or placed in the direction of the arrow B,
i.e. from the side of the otoplastic 3 facing the ear drum. In this
case the funnel-shaped sound outlet 8 is incorporated into the
capsule or the adapter 5. In its external contours of the adapter 5
is slightly conical in shape so that it is prevented from shaking
free outwards from the otoplastic 3 The adapter 5 can also be
designed to have a strictly cylindrical outer contour as shown in
FIG 1. In this case it is advisable to provide a corresponding stop
so that the adapter 5 cannot unintentionally be shaken out.
Alternatively the adapter 5 can also be spherical in design.
[0032] FIG. 3 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
This third embodiment can be combined with both the first and the
second embodiment. A cutout 9 is embodied in the otoplastic 3 into
which the earpiece 4 is inserted The cutout is closed off by a
cover 10. The cover 10 for its part is attached by a hinge 11 to
the otoplastic 3 and has a handle 12 for opening it. The connecting
leads 6 are in this case routed through the cover 10. The flexible
lead 7 is routed in its turn to the BtE. Like a battery, the
earpiece 4 has two contacts 13. Spring contacts 14 which are
attached to the cover 10 make the electrical contact between the
contact points 13 and the leads 6 when at the cover 10 is in its
closed state. This enables the earpiece 4 to be replaced with just
a few operations.
[0033] Instead of the earpiece 4, an adapter or a capsule into
which an earpiece is integrated could be inserted into the cutout 9
and contact established when the cover 10 is closed.
[0034] In accordance with the embodiment of the present invention
described above an ear insert is thus produced with improved
acoustic properties in which the earpiece is easy to exchange. This
means that a new otoplastic does not have to be produced each time
the earpiece is replaced, so that the use of active otoplastics in
which the coupling tendencies are less because of the greater
distance between earpiece and microphone becomes a more viable
economic option.
* * * * *